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Inyo County

Death Valley Backcountry Roadside Camping

From Recreation.gov

**Heat Warning:** Death Valley National Park is known for its extreme summer heat. Camping is not recommended during this time, as daytime temperatures can average at least 100°F (38°C) with little relief from cooler overnight temperatures.*** ***Be aware of these extremes, take necessary precautions, and camp at your own risk.

Death Valley Backcountry Roadside Camping

From Recreation.gov

**FIRE RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE: **Campfires are only permitted with the use of a fire pan or other fireproof barrier that prevents the fire from directly contacting the ground and does not damage the natural surface. NO wood gathering is allowed. **All accumulated ashes and burned wood must be collected and packed out.**

Inyo National Forest

National Forest System Roads

Follow California Vehicle Code on National Forest System Roads

Overview

Inyo County sits on California's eastern flank between the Sierra Nevada crest and the Nevada border, and is one of the most camping-rich counties in the lower 48. It encompasses a huge swath of public land: most of Death Valley National Park, the eastern half of Sequoia & Kings Canyon (including Mt. Whitney's summit), Inyo National Forest, the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area (BLM), Manzanar National Historic Site, and large stretches of BLM-managed Owens Valley and Saline/Eureka/Panamint valley terrain. Hub towns are Lone Pine, Independence, Big Pine, and Bishop along US-395. For an expert camper: dispersed camping is broadly allowed on BLM and Inyo NF lands with the usual Leave No Trace and fire-restriction rules, but the popular Alabama Hills area requires a free permit and has a 14-day stay limit, and several pullouts/spurs there are now closed to camping to manage overuse. Wilderness permits for the Inyo NF (including the John Muir, Ansel Adams, Golden Trout, and Cottonwood zones) are quota-based and reserved through recreation.gov; Mt. Whitney's day-use and overnight permits are issued via the Whitney lottery (application window typically Feb 1–Mar 15, with leftover-quota releases through the season). Death Valley's developed campgrounds (Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells, Mesquite Spring) plus high-elevation Wildrose/Thorndike/Mahogany Flat give big seasonal range — the high camps are the move in summer when the valley floor is lethally hot, while the valley campgrounds are excellent Oct–Apr. Backcountry road camping in Death Valley requires a free permit and you must be 2+ miles from any paved/day-use road; Cottonwood-Marble loop and Racetrack/Saline access roads frequently have washouts after winter storms — check the park's current road-status page before committing. Fire restrictions on Inyo NF and BLM lands typically tighten from late spring through fall (often no open flames or charcoal outside developed rings), and bear canisters are required in much of the Eastern Sierra wilderness. Bishop Creek, Big Pine Creek, Onion Valley, Whitney Portal, and Horseshoe Meadow are the classic Sierra-side trailhead campgrounds; reserve early for summer weekends. Cell coverage is spotty to nonexistent off US-395 — download maps and carry a PLB/InReach if heading into Saline Valley, the Inyos, or the Panamints.

Campgrounds

Baker Creek Campground Big Pine Canyon Group Campground Big Pine Creek Campground Big Trees Campground Bishop Park Campground Bishop Park Group Bitterbrush Campground Cedar Flat Group Campground Clyde Glacier Group Camp Cottonwood Lakes Walk-in Campground Cottonwood Pass Walk-in Campground Death Valley Backcountry Roadside Camping Diaz Lake Campground Emigrant Campground Eureka Dunes Primitive Campground Ferguson Group Camp Forks Campground Four Jeffrey Furnace Creek Campground Goodale Creek Campground Grandview Campground Grays Meadows Homestake Primitive Campground Horseshoe Meadows Horse Camp Horton Creek Campground Independence Creek Campground Intake 2 Campground Lone Pine

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